After the federal immigration investigation at the construction site for Gulf Shores’ new high school where 36 undocumented workers were arrested, Gulf Shores’ mayor said the city is …
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After an ICE raid at the construction site for Gulf Shores’ new high school where 36 workers were arrested last week, Mayor Robert Craft said the city is neither a target nor involved.
Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft released a statement on June 30 concerning the federal immigration investigation at the Gulf Shores High School construction site.
“The City of Gulf Shores supports the efforts of Homeland Security to enforce federal immigration laws and keep our community safe,” Craft said in the statement. “… The city is neither a target nor involved in this investigation.”
In the statement, he explained how the city has no information on the investigation outside of what’s being reported publicly. He said there is an open investigation by the Homeland Security Task Force into private businesses under contract with the city.
“The city will assist the federal government in any way possible if requested,” he said.
As previously reported by GCM, the $137 million project site is set to open in fall 2026. The opening of the school will not be affected, Craft said, and the construction timeline is still on track.
He also brought up a statement from a representative of Homeland Security reported by a Mobile-based TV station that he wrote suggested the “quality of construction at the school may be in question” because of the employment of people allegedly living in the country without legal status.
“We are unaware of any evidence to support this claim,” Craft said. “The city has taken steps to ensure this project is subject to rigorous oversight from a multi-disciplinary team of architectural, engineering and construction experts.”
Some of the oversight the city has ensured, according to the statement, includes having the construction plans approved by the Alabama Division of Construction Management (ADCM), “meticulous inspection protocols” carried out by ADCM, hiring well-known architectural and engineering firms and a third-party engineering firm to manage the project and ensuring the materials and inspections are up to proper specifications.
Craft mentioned the city’s contract with the construction project’s general contractor that states the contractor must use the federal E-Verify program to confirm employee eligibility to work in the United States. He said this is standard for public construction projects in Alabama and is used in all city construction projects.
In a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, previously reported by GCM, the investigation team was made up of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; FBI; the Drug Enforcement Agency; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations; and deputies from Baldwin County Sherriff’s Office.
“The operation was coordinated after receiving multiple tips from members of the community about illegal immigrants being employed at the site,” the Homeland Security statement said.
The statement said seven of the 36 workers arrested were found to have criminal records with charges such as DUI, property damage, domestic violence and other outstanding warrants.